


Before winter comes

by mssdare



Series: Summer Pornathon 2014 (my entries) [6]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Death, M/M, Magic, Seasons, Summer Pornathon 2014, cycles, emrys - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-30
Updated: 2014-08-30
Packaged: 2018-02-13 23:32:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2169495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mssdare/pseuds/mssdare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first birds spread their wings and fly away with a screechy wail, leaving behind branches with their leaves turning brown. Arthur watches the leaves fall one by one to the ground, wrinkling the forest floor, and he knows the time has come again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before winter comes

**Author's Note:**

> My entry for round 6 of Summer Pornathon 2014: CYCLES
> 
> Thank you Sillygoose for betaing!
> 
> Warnings: mention of character future death

They say he's the Lord of Life and Death, that he's Emrys, Death himself.

To Arthur he's _Merlin_ —smooth skin flushed pink with desire when their bodies rub against each other, blue eyes full of trust. His laugh is earnest and sweet as they fool around, throwing slices of red apples into the air to catch them with their mouths. His naked feet are ticklish when Arthur drags his finger under their soles before they dive into the water to cool off after the midday heat.

*

The first birds spread their wings and fly away with a screechy wail, leaving behind branches with their leaves turning brown. Arthur watches the leaves fall one by one to the ground, wrinkling the forest floor, and he knows the time has come again.

He tugs Merlin into bed. The fire burns hot and bright in the hearth. He slips under the heavy furs next to Merlin and runs his hands over Merlin's naked skin. Sweat beads up under his touch, and for a moment it seems like it's enough.

*

“Let me warm you, love.”

Arthur breathes on his palms, places them over Merlin's clasped hands and rubs hard and fast, then he gathers Merlin in his arms and kisses his mouth deeply, desperately.

He knows it's pointless. Merlin's skin is clammy and cold, pale like the moon. His eyes are distant, all the warm golden glow gone, leaving only frosty blue.

*

He'll return with the first sunrays of spring, with his clothes torn and body thin, skin paper-white and covered in bruises and cuts. He'll cling to Arthur; his broken, dirty fingernails will dig into Arthur's flesh. He'll meow like a kitten when Arthur feeds him greasy morsels of seasoned meat and makes him drink sweet, heated mead. He’ll purr with pleasure when Arthur drags him to the bed, peeling dirty clothes away piece by piece and running a warm washcloth over his skin, cleaning him and then stretching him bit by bit with oiled fingers.

Then they will climb on each other, all clumsy and needy, hands desperate and mouths too eager, until Arthur will throw Merlin off with a groan, lay him on his back, and hold him by his throat to make him stop writhing. Arthur will thrust hard into Merlin’s body, filling him up to the brim with his hot seed. Only then will Merlin sigh and unravel, smiling broadly, stretching in the rays of the sun. Only then will he close his gold-rimmed eyes and sleep, sleep, sleep.

Days and nights will pass, but finally Arthur will wake up to Merlin walking through gardens and meadows, flowers blooming with his every step, the plants and bees greeting him, and everything coming to life under his gentle fingers.

Arthur's learned to cherish that time, for it's never long enough. He's learned to treasure the nights full of humid, hot air and Merlin's lips parted in a silent gasp, his hands grabbing Arthur's hair hard, his teeth leaving deep marks in Arthur's flesh, and his cock always hard for Arthur, swollen fat and dripping. Arthur licks it all and swallows, pumps it till it's dry, till only the bitter taste left in Arthur's mouth tells the story of what they’ve done together.

*

He never knows when and how Merlin descends Underground. He’s tried to stay awake, to see if Merlin digs his way through the hard soil to the core of the Earth or if he just dissolves into thin air.

But, as usual, Arthur wakes up one morning to an empty bed and thick snowy clouds hanging above the castle.

He grabs his fox fur coat, wrapping it over his shoulders, and he throws another log onto the fire. Outside, the frost is already painting the widows in spiral flowers.

Arthur starts counting the nights yet to come before Merlin's light will overcome the darkness once again, and Merlin's moans of pleasure and hushed words will replace the suffocating silence of the snowed-in castle’s walls.

*

They say once the High King is gone, the grief of Emrys will be so vast the old Earth will perish. Furious fire will swallow meadows and forests until there's nothing but white ash. And then the everlasting Winter will come; ice will cover the ground, and amidst the sea of white the only thing that will last will be the skinny boy with a frozen heart and skin as pale as the moon.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Cyclical](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3753541) by [Nympha_Alba](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nympha_Alba/pseuds/Nympha_Alba)




End file.
